"
"I mean year and a half."
He forced his mobile features to assume a fixed expression of greedy,
though rather too constant, curiosity. Lady Enid brightened up.
"Mr. Vivian," she said, "many girls are born sensible-looking without
wishing it."
"Are they really? It never occurred to me."
"Such things very seldom do occur to men. Now that places these girls in
a very painful position. I was placed in this position as soon as I was
born, or at least as soon as I began to look like anything at all. For
babies really don't."
"That's very true," assented the Prophet, with more fervour.
"People continually said to me, 'What a nice sensible girl you are';
or--'One always feels your Common sense'; or--'There's nothing foolish
about you, Enid, thank Heaven!' The Chieftain relied upon me thoroughly.
So did the tenants. So did everybody. You can understand that it became
very trying?"
"Of course, of course."
"It's something to do with the shape of my eyebrows, the colour of my
hair, the way I smile and that sort of thing."
"No doubt it is."
"Mr. Vivian, I'll tell you now, that I've never felt sensible in all my
life."
"Really!" ejaculated the Prophet, still firmly holding all his features
together in an unyielding expression of fixed curiosity.
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